


Asking

by SevenCorvus



Series: Avengers 50 Prompt Table [7]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Bruce Feels, Character Study, Gen, M/M, One Shot, Prompt Fic, Slash, gen - Freeform, or - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-07
Updated: 2012-12-07
Packaged: 2017-11-20 14:26:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/586362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SevenCorvus/pseuds/SevenCorvus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was something he feared more than anything else, losing control and being under someone else's control. </p><p>Prompt: control<br/>Characters: Bruce Banner/Nick Fury (can be read as gen or slash)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Asking

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of my NaNoWriMo project, and for the prompt "control" on the [Avengers 50 Prompt Table](http://sevencorvus.livejournal.com/24907.html). Each of my prompt fills will be covering a different character combination and most can be read as gen or romantic, I leave it up to you to decide. I will be posting a fic a day for the rest of this month (at least). Feedback is love and will be rewarded with cookies (and smut).

It was something he feared more than anything else, losing control and being under someone else's control. He had fought so hard to maintain control, to keep from losing himself in his anger, had fought to keep from being found, from being taken. Yet, Fury did not take him, did not try to put him under his control, instead he sent an agent to ask if he would be willing to help. Not that he doubted that Natasha could have been very persuasive indeed, still the asking, that was nice, that was more than he might have expected. 

While he was not exactly happy that the Director had built a cage to contain him, a part of him recognized the necessity, recognized that it would have been irresponsible of Fury not to plan for the possibility. And he might not trust the man fully, but he appreciated being asked for his scientific knowledge, not for the other guy, appreciated the steady hand shake and calm gaze that met his own. Fury never seemed to treat him differently than anyone else, and if that gaze was ever narrowed or suspicious, he knew it had nothing to do with the other guy, and everything to do with Fury's nature.

It was not until later that he realized that Fury had turned what could have been a show of control into something else, a show of faith, asking for help instead of outright demanding it. It saddened him, that while Fury had not put him under his control, he had still lost it. The stress of the situation and the influence of Loki's staff, overcoming his tightly wound barriers. He was just lucky that he had not done more damage than he did. He apologized afterwards, of course, for all the good that would do, and his apology had been accepted with that same steady gaze. Fury not even hesitating to allow him back on board.

It was nice, someone coming to him, and it was partly that which kept him staying when every instinct told him to run, to flee. He waited anxiously for the axe to fall, for Fury to show his hand, yet it never came. There were no requests or demands that he be experimented on or examined, nothing asked of him except in those situations it was truly needed. The Director seemed to treat him as he would any of his other people. Granting him respect as long as it was deserved, asking about his wellbeing, not as someone who wanted to capitalize on the tool he had at his command, but as a concerned superior. It was not something he had ever had before. Even before the accident, his research had always been demanded, his time and energy assumed, never requested. 

Being asked, that was nice, that was very nice. And the man who did the asking, well if Bruce could not trust him completely, he could respect him in turn, could do what was asked of him to the best of his ability, as long as it was something he wanted to do. Fury had yet to put him in a position of saying no, and while that day may come, Bruce gradually began to feel that the refusal would not come with repercussions, or at least not the repercussions he had feared.


End file.
